Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
He grinned, and it knocked the breath right out of me.
Ramsay’s eyes sharpened ever so slightly before dropping to my mouth. My lips actually tingled beneath his attention.
“You shaved. And cut your hair.”
His attention jumped back to my eyes. “I do that occasionally.”
“It looks good. Hygiene-wise, I mean.” I shrugged.
His lips twitched. “Right. Hygiene-wise.”
I tried not to, but my lips strained against a laugh and too late it huffed out, my cheeks hot. Ramsay’s eyes warmed with amusement. I was breathless again. I wanted to reach up on my tiptoes and press my lips to his to settle this overwhelming awareness between us.
“Ramsay!” A woman suddenly shoved past Cammie, knocking her slightly into Forde and me out of my Ramsay stupor. “Oh, sorry!” she apologized cheerfully, almost stepping on Akiva who jumped to her feet and growled in warning. “Goodness!” The woman halted in fright, staring down at the dog.
“Akiva, heel,” Ramsay ordered, patting her head in reassurance. He eyed the newcomer, a pretty, very tall, very voluptuous brunette who had attractive laughter lines around her eyes that told me she was perhaps a decade or so older than me. “Ava, what are you doing here?”
She eyed Akiva warily again as she shimmied past me, forcing me backward so she could press a hand to Ramsay’s chest and lean up to kiss his lips.
Oh.
Okay, then.
When she pulled back, it forced me to retreat farther, and I had to apologize to a tourist I’d knocked into. Cammie scowled in annoyance at the rude newcomer.
“You might say excuse me to people,” Cammie told her bluntly.
The woman’s eyes widened, and she glanced over her shoulder, flushing when she saw she’d shoved me out of the way. “I’m so sorry! I’ve just come barreling in. I’m Ava.” She turned back to Cammie. “I’m Ramsay’s—”
“What are you doing here?” the man in question repeated gruffly, seeming pissed.
The brunette slumped. “I’m late. I know. I caught the ferry over ages ago so I didn’t miss your gig, but then I fell asleep in my hotel room.”
“You came over for the gig?”
“Aye, I wanted to surprise you.” She beamed sweetly at him.
That’s when I remembered Cammie telling me Ramsay was seeing someone from the mainland.
Apparently, it was more than a casual fling.
Crushing disappointment made my feet feel like they were sinking into the floor.
“And you’re staying in Leth Sholas?” Ramsay’s expression hadn’t cleared beyond stony confusion.
“I missed you.” Ava shrugged. “I know you were planning on staying with Quinn tonight, but I thought you could stay with me at my hotel. I’m better company.” She flicked me a look, as if suddenly remembering I was there. And she paused. She studied me as if she was seeing me for the first time. “Sorry … who are you?”
There was a change in her tone. A wariness. “I’m Tierney. Nice to meet you.”
“Are you here on holiday?”
“No, I live here.”
Ava’s jaw clenched ever so slightly as she turned back to Ramsay and cocked her head in accusatory question.
And that was my cue to leave!
“I think I’m done for the night,” I told Cammie as I put my half-empty glass on the bar top. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Cammie jolted from whatever softly spoken conversation she was having with Forde. “Oh. Shall I walk you out?”
“No. I’m a few doors down. Nice to meet you, Forde. You too, Ava.” I didn’t look at her or Ramsay as I thanked him for the drink and then lowered to my haunches to say goodbye to Akiva.
The Malamute bussed into my pets, her beautiful pale eyes staring into my soul in the same way her damn owner’s did. I kissed the bridge of her nose. “Good night, beautiful girl.” She tried to swipe me with her tongue in response and I laughed, evading it before I rubbed behind her ears and turned away.
The Lantern was now elbow-to-elbow, and I had to squeeze through to make my way out. Some locals nodded good night, which warmed the disappointment chilling my limbs.
Unable to stop myself, I glanced back at the bar.
Ramsay was so tall I saw him over the crowd.
Our eyes locked as he watched me leave.
With a frown of confusion, I turned away and walked out.
9. Tierney
While Quinn assured me things were going along at a good pace, the B and B still looked like a shell of its former self. He promised me this was the point where it didn’t feel like much was happening because it was all “first fit” site services—updating the electrical, the heating, the plumbing. And since I’d chosen the best eco version of everything, Quinn was constantly conferring with the experts on how to install it.
It was costing a nice little chunk of the inheritance my maternal grandmother left me, but I wanted the B and B to run as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Weeks had passed and Cammie’s joke about the island only experiencing two seasons—June and winter—was proving true. It was the first week of August, there were more tourists than ever, and it had already rained the entire week. While July, apparently, had been surprisingly mild with clear skies, the temperatures only peaked at 14°C, which was around 57°F. In July.